“Here.” I dropped the bag on the floor. “Get dressed.”
She didn’t meet my eye but nodded.
I left her to it. I was suddenly starving and so went to the kitchen to prepare myself a sandwich. Maybe I’d even make Kaja one, too. I figured she’d earned it. I fished out the bread I’d bought and some of the cold meats. There wasn’t a huge amount left, but that didn’t matter. We’d be out of here soon.
The crunch of a car driving up the lane towards the cabin halted me in my tracks.
I expected it to be the courier, but I wasn’t going to take any chances. I took my gun from the back of my trousers.
“Stay in the bathroom, Kaja,” I called out to her. “Someone’s here, and I don’t want a repeat of last time.”
I didn’t wait for a reply but headed outside, locking the cabin door behind me. I held my gun at my side—a warning to whoever my visitor might be.
The car door opened, and a man climbed out with a brown manilla envelope in his hand. He spotted me and gave me a nod.
“I have a delivery for Mr Allen.”
He used the fake name I travelled under, so I knew it was the courier. No one else would know that name or that I was here. If it had been one of Rasmus’s men, he’d been more likely to use my real name.
Despite this, I kept the gun in clear view. I was aware of Kaja still vulnerable inside the cabin, and I didn’t want to risk her being put in danger again.
I took the envelope and gave him a nod of thanks. There was nothing more that needed to happen between us, so he turned back to the vehicle. I stood on the porch and waited for the car to vanish, followed by the purr of the engine leaving my ears. I wanted to make sure he was gone. I wasn’t going to make the same mistake as I had with our visitor earlier.
Satisfied we were alone once more, I went back into the cabin and opened the envelope.
“Good work, Tam,” I said approvingly.
A British passport for Kaja, under the name Alexis Allen, and an official-looking letter on headed paper that appeared to be from a doctor’s office. The letter said Kaja—or at least the name her passport was under—suffered from schizophrenia and was on medication for it. I didn’t think I was going to need to use it, but it was always good to have backup.
I took out my phone and, now I knew I had the passports and was confident in the name they were in, booked us the next flight out of there. It was pricey, but that didn’t matter. Money wasn’t a concern for me.
Kaja emerged from the bathroom, dressed in the jeans and top I’d bought her. Her cheeks were flushed from the heat of the bath and the sex, and the ends of her hair were damp. She hadn’t put on the shoes, but that was understandable because of her foot. She was going to need to wear them through the airport, however. I hoped they’d fit around the bandage.
I nodded approvingly. “Looks good.”
She risked a smile and did a cute little twirl, as best she could while only putting pressure on one foot. “You did well.”
“Thanks.” I held up the passport. “We’ve got what we need to get out of here.”
“To England?” she checked.
“To England.”
Was she going to change her mind?
She drew in a breath. “Okay, then.”
I almost told her to get her stuff together, but then I realised she didn’t have anything. I wondered who would find the body of the man in the forest. Hopefully, wild animals would get to him before the authorities did.
“If you want anything to eat or drink, help yourself now. We won’t take any of it with us.”
Leaving her to it, I moved around the cabin, packing my few belongings into the bag I’d brought. I collected her bloodied clothes from the bathroom, carried them back into the living area, and threw them into the fireplace. A couple of firelighters and a match quickly got them going. I sensed Kaja watching me, but she didn’t protest. I imagined she wouldn’t want them back.
“Ready?” I asked her.
She nodded, though she looked apprehensive.
I picked up my bag. “Let’s go.”